The key players and battles that could decide Sunderland play-off final against Sheffield United

Sunderland will face Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final on Saturday afternoon, with a place in the Premier League at stake.

The Black Cats are bidding to bring to an end an eight-year absence from the top flight, and will be hoping to build on their dramatic semi-final triumph over Coventry City last week. For their part, United saw off Bristol City in relatively comfortable fashion over two legs.

But who are the key Blades talents that Sunderland should be looking out for, what are likely to be the pivotal battles, and what are the head coaches saying ahead of the showdown at Wembley? Here’s everything you need to know...

Who are Sheffield United’s key men?

Gustavo Hamer

The Championship’s Player of the Season, and with good reason. Hamer is a constant threat for the Blades, and has racked up 10 goals and seven assists so far this term. Capable of producing moments of magic at the drop of a hat, he is a potential problem that Sunderland will have to keep a close eye on.

Vini Souza

Signed for the Blades’ ill-fated Premier League campaign last season, Souza has established himself as a real midfield general for Chris Wilder’s side during their ongoing promotion push this term. In a final that could end up being a fairly tense affair, he may have a big part to play.

Tyrese Campbell

Campbell hit 10 goals in 33 Championship outings this season, at a rate of one every 159 minutes. A lethal finisher with a propensity for running in behind opposition defences, he could prove to be a real thorn in Sunderland’s side.

What are the key battles likely to be between Sunderland and Sheffield United?

Dan Ballard vs Kieffer Moore

Even taking his stunning winning header out of the equation, Ballard was nothing short of majestic over the course of Sunderland’s semi-final victory against Coventry City, and the decision to bring him back into the starting XI in a bid to neutralise the more physical aspects of the Sky Blues’ attack was thoroughly vindicated. In that regard, there are few strikers quite as physically imposing as Moore, and the Black Cats centre-back may need to be at his very best against at Wembley.

Jobe Bellingham vs Vinicius Souza

So much of the energy and effervescence in Sunderland’s midfield is provided by Bellingham, and to that end, the teenager will need to be at his battling best down at Wembley on Saturday afternoon. If the Black Cats can win the tussle in midfield, then they will stand a good chance of winning the match itself.

Eliezer Mayenda vs Anel Ahmedhozic

It feels as if Mayenda may just have crept ahead of Wilson Isidor in the race to lead Sunderland’s line at Wembley, and if he does indeed get the nod, then the Black Cats will be hoping that he is able to hassle and harangue the heart of Sheffield United’s defence in the manner that we have become so accustomed to in recent months. Ahmedhozic, for his part, will be bidding to keep him quiet.

Regis Le Bris vs Chris Wilder

Ultimately, Sunderland are gearing up for a trip to Wembley because of how well Le Bris executed his tactical plan in the first leg of their semi-final against Coventry City. Whether the Frenchman opts to have his side sit deep and hit Sheffield United on the break, or whether he attempts to exercise more overt control over the contest by aiming to wrestle possession away from the Blades, this could, when all is said and done, end up being a cagey encounter that is won or lost from the sidelines.

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What have Regis Le Bris and Chris Wilder said?

Chris Wilder

Speaking in a press conference about Sunderland in midweek, Wilder said: "I can go on how they played at the start of the season. I could go on how they played at their place. Or I could go on in the last two games. Everybody has a way of playing, so we have to prepare for both aspects.

“The games have been different, and I don’t know how this game is going to pan out. If I was going off the Coventry game and if they sit in, then we have to break them down. But they’ve played against us at their place where we missed a penalty, we made a couple of mistakes and they punished us. And we weren’t strong enough.”

He added: “One of the big things that I’ve talked about is substitutions and strength in depth. I look at our bench that day [New Year's Day] and basically it was an under-21 bench. So that had to be dealt with in January, which we certainly did. I think if you look at our bench now, especially at the weekend, it would be completely different. In the home game, they started off very well. You watch them play, they’re a young side. They’ve got plenty of energy and plenty of personality, and they’ve got quality.

“They’ve got threats all over the pitch because they wouldn’t have got the points that they’ve got if they weren’t a good side. And I think the same with us. We wouldn’t have got points if we had not done a lot of things right. They’ve done a lot of things right, and I’ll respect that. But we’ve done a lot of things right as well. So we have to make sure that we’re bang at it and we execute our game plan, against whatever is put in front of us.”

Regis Le Bris

When asked about Sunderland’s latest injury news heading into the weekend during a press conference of his own, Le Bris coyly responded: “Everyone is available, more or less. It’s the end of the season, you can have little injuries but it’s the last game and you can manage the pain. So we’ll see.

“We’ll see... it’s always the case that at the end of the season you have to manage injuries. I’m really happy now because I think the group is bigger than before, but it’s always the case that you have to manage different scenarios and also your substitutions. We’ll see. I can’t say that we have 100% availability because it is not, but more or less. I will have options.”

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